Huddersfield Town 2 Birmingham City 1: Terriers party like it's 1995 on Neil Warnock's return

They say you should never go back to an old club. They say football has moved on from the methods which took Town to Wembley twice in the mid-1990s.

They say a lot about Warnock, but at 74, he keeps delivering.

Even victory has not lifted Huddersfield out of the Championship relegation zone – they are level on points with the other two teams in there – but it was an afternoon to give hope, which is what the return of the old warrior has done.

At times the old frailties were still there – a sloppy goal conceded, some poor touches – but generally this was a huge improvement from a team whose previous victory came at Christmas.

Huddersfield pressed well, they counter-attacked dangerously and most of all they got stuck in. When they had a one-goal lead, they refused to sit on it as so often in the past, even if they were forced to spend a fair amount of the 56 minutes they held it for once lengthy stoppage time was added.

The 15 added minutes felt like a week as Birmingham threw everything at them, including John Ruddy at a corner.

But Town got their reward.

Nicholas Bilakpoic, their young-back-up goalkeeper, played a part in both goals scored and made some important saves.

Jaheim Headley showed the composure of a far more experienced player to score the winning goal, but it only highlighted what a good game the left-back had before going off with a hopefully not too serious injury.

Etienne Camara was tigerish in midfield and goalscorer Joseph Hungbo showed his talent.

Danny Ward – one of two players along with Tom Lees to have played for Warnock before put in a performance which suggested he was glad to see him back.

The John Smith's Stadium certainly was, the atmosphere at full-time exuding belief that was not there a week ago.

It was not immediately obvious things would pan out that way once the tannoy had stopped playing all its mid-1990s music and the game began.

Warnock's first team sheet had seven changes to it but there was a same old, same old feel about the opening minutes.

When former Terrier Juninho Bacuna crossed from the right in the sixth minute, Troy Deeney got in front of David Kasumu, a surprising choice at wing-back and stooped to knee the ball in. It was unclear if the experienced striker was narrowly on or offside but Warnock stood impassive as it went in.

But the Terriers showed a bit of bite, almost level within a couple of minutes. Even given the wet conditions, Ruddy would have been disappointed to spill a fairly routine straight ball from deep from a Jack Rudoni free-kick but Camara's shot hit the frame of the goal.

Emmanuel Longelo forced his way through Michal Helik's 16th-minute challenge but could only find the net. Hannibal Mejbri pounced on a poor Jonathan Hogg touch but his pass failed to pick out Deeney.

Rudoni played a nice chipped pass to Ward. The striker's shot took a deflection off Auston Trusty and the dips had Ruddy scrambling.

Ward very nearly got on the end of the cross when Matt Lowton stepped out of the back three, playing a tight one-two with Headley.

Town's attacks had a nearly feel about them.

But that changed in the 25th minute, Bilakopic taking a cross, waved his team-mates upfield and rolled the ball for Kasuimu to go on the counter-attack. He threaded a good ball to Hungbo, who curled his first goal in English football.

It flicked a switch inside the stadium, instantly energising the stadium and making Warnock and his assistant Ronnie Jepson more animated as they pointed and directed players around and got in the ear of the fourth official and linesman.

Bilakopic had to make a good low save to deny Bacuna late in the half from Maxime Colin's pull-back.

But the attacking threat was always there from Town too, and great work from Camara and Rudoni in tight areas on the left released Hungbo only for him to swipe at fresh air.

The first half was a lot like that: good moments mixed with reminders of why Huddersfield are in the Championship relegation zone.

When Headley's shot was spilt after great work by Ward, Rudoni was not quite able to reach it.

The sliding doors moment came inside the first 20 seconds of the second half, Deeney's diving header from Longelo's hitting the base of the post.

Four minutes later, Huddersfield provided the decisive response, Bilokapic hitting the ball long, Headley controlling it, steadying himself and drilling into the net.

They might have had a penalty soon after, Harley Dean going through Rudoni in the penalty area without punishment.

Lowton had a shot cleared by Bacuna and Ward's follow-up hit a defender.

Rudoni could only glance his header wide from a lovely Kasumui cross.

But although Tyreece Simpson's powerful running kept Huddersfield dangerous on the counter-attack, it was inevitable Birmingham would wrench the kitchen sink from the wall. The Terriers stood firm.

Bilokapic ran out to save from Trusty then got low to deny Tahith Chong but it was more about defenders throwing themselves into tackles and in the way of shots than goalkeeping.

Deeney missed a good chance which should have been in the net before Lowton could jump across his eyeline.

Warnock encroached onto the pitch a couple of times to make points and whipped the crowd up as the clock ticked down but they needed no encouragement.

When the ball dropped to Bacuna in the 12th added minute, he volleyed wide.

"Woohoo" whooped Damon Albarn over the tannoy at the full-time whistle, and plenty joined in as Warnock began his lap of honour.

This was a huge three points.

Huddersfield Town: Bilokapic; Lees, Helik, Lowton; Kasumu, Rudoni, Hogg (Knockaert 71), Camara, Headley (Ruffels 64); Hungbo (Waghorn 64), Ward (Simpson 64).

Unused substitutes: Koroma, Diarra, Smith.

Birmingham City: Ruddy; Sanderson (Chong 61), Dean, Trusty; Colin, Bacuna, Bielik (Gardner 81), Mejbri (Hall 81), Longelo; Hogan, Deeney (Jutkiewicz 71).

Unused substitutes: Etheridge, James, Long.

Referee: J Busby (Oxfordshire).